Waterford Rising: Update on the Strategic Plan I

As we enter the holiday season I write to update you on our strategic plan implementation progress.  Since our June adoption, we have been working hard to operationalize all facets of the plan. We have translated goal areas into project management templates with action plans that include articulated tasks, resources (human and financial) and time lines.  And we have budgeted strategic planning activity over the course of the next seven years that will inform the next exciting chapters of Waterford School.

Animated by the clarity of our vision which calls on all of us to inspire lives of meaning and purpose, we embrace the centrality of our liberal arts philosophy as we have begun to engage in implementation activity informed by our mission, and shaped by our core values:

• Through the lens of our new vision, clarified mission and core values, a full program review is underway by grade level teams in Lower School, and departmentally in Middle and Upper School.
• In an effort to better support Waterford’s most valuable resource, our teaching faculty, an assessment /evaluation, professional growth and compensation task force is exploring how we improve our ability to attract, retain, support and grow the strength of our teaching faculty.
• A health and wellness group is meeting to explore the wellbeing of students in all divisions.
• To ensure that our students are prepared to enjoy the full benefit from all that Waterford has to offer, and maximize their college experience and beyond, a faculty group will come together in early January to begin to explore cultural competency work at Waterford.
• An athletics task force has begun its work to explore the next phase of development of athletics here at Waterford.
• A comprehensive master planning process is underway as we explore facility improvements to support school-wide learning objectives.   
• Master planning will inform the goals of a comprehensive capital fundraising campaign to support endowment growth and building projects.  We hope to launch the campaign in the next 18-20 months.
• A small technology group is considering how technology will continue to be best utilized as a tool for teaching and learning.
• We are working to explore applied learning experiences and hope to create more student internships in the year ahead.
• We are exploring innovative alternative revenue sources to fuel continued support of our faculty and programs, and modestly reduce our dependence on tuition.  

In additional to the work above, a group of faculty are in the process of working to improve the master assessment calendar. In the spring we plan to launch a new annual survey of faculty/staff and parents to gather feedback about many areas of student engagement including  the schedule shift initiated this fall.

There is important and meaningful work being done across the student experience that will result in greater impact, and efficacy of our mission delivery.

Since our founding in 1981 we have been committed to innovative growth and continuous improvement.  We remain a school on the move with much to celebrate and always room for improvement. Thank you for being on this journey together as there is no better work than changing the world by inspiring our students to live lives of meaning and purpose!

As always, be in touch at any time with questions or feedback.

Happy Holidays.

Strategic Plan